RRWBY: Vacuo
by Rocketiermaster
Summary: This is the third part of my RRWBY series. Finally, this is the point of the story where I split off from the show and go in my own direction. If there are any similarities between this and RWBY coming up, just know I planned this before Volume 6 came out. Anyway, all characters are the property of Roosterteeh animation except for Rocket, Star, Marshal, Rusty, and Talia.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

POV: Rocket

We finally managed to get through what all had happened on our various trips, some of us filling in details others missed. Near the end, Qrow joined in. Somehow, he managed to turn his poisoning and near-death experience into a bit of comedy.

Rocket: Ok, storytime over. Where are we going now?

Qrow: Well, before Oscar collapsed, he managed to get me a message from Oz. We need to go to Shade academy. There, we'll meet the headmaster, Professor Aver Fovos, and the Summer maiden, Elsayf. We'll go ahead and grab that relic, the relic of destruction, and figure out our next step from there.

Ruby: I'm guessing we'll be defending Shade as well?

Qrow: Probably, but at least we won't have to travel by foot! We can request an airship, and just fly there.

Rocket: It all sounds so simple…

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Rocket: Why couldn't it be that simple?!

Yang: Just shut up and fight!

We had left Haven on the airships, leaving Kali and Ghira behind to clean up the faunus. Sun and Ilia had stayed behind with Blake's parents to help organize the new white fang. Since that fight with Hazel, Oscar hadn't been able to recontact Ozpin. Now, we were on an airship, an absolutely massive one to fit all 10 of us plus the crew. The flight had been silent thus far. After the moment of reunion faded, old tensions had reignited. The most severe of these had been between Yang and Blake. Against our full efforts, Yang's anger had quickly turned to resentment. Blake could sense Yang's anger, but didn't really know how to even start an apology. Back to the present, though. That airship was currently falling out of the sky. Nevermores had swarmed the ship after a small argument caused by a group of children with nothing else to do. They quickly destroyed all the other ships in the envoy, which carried all of our food and ammo for the trip. Fortunately for us, we were only a few days out, already being over land.

Qrow: Get the ship to the ground! We'll never be able to fight it up here!

Rocket: Actually, there is one way… Ice missile!

Without looking down, I ran forward and jumped over everyone's heads, and out of the ship. I stopped time to take stock of the situation. Currently, there were 6 Nevermores attacking, with one right in front of me. All the others were either below or behind me. Also, as time was stopped, I noticed 20 sigils opening in the air around the grimm. I resumed time, and the slashing began. According to the rest of the team, I was a blur as I moved between nevermores.

Ren: Our weapons are doing nothing!

I landed back on the cargo bay of the ship, tired, alongside the rest of the group. My attack hadn't even fazed the Nevermores.

Rocket: Any ideas, Ruby?

Ruby: Well, we took out the one before by… oh…

The realization hit her that I no longer had my scythe, which was much sharper than my current weapon, the red and black wakizashi.

Pilot: We're about to touchdown!

Qrow: Everybody, get ready to get off. Once we land, this ship will be a sitting duck.

Right on cue, the ship scraped to the ground.

Qrow: Go! Go!

We all scattered off the ship and trudged through the loose sand underneath us. We had barely gotten 20 feet away when a storm of feathers rained down on the airship. There was a second as the barrage ended before the whole thing blew up.

Nora: No! Our food...

Rocket: Look out!

Everyone had been a bit too distracted by the ship exploding to notice that our group was now the only target within a few hundred meters. At my warning, the group looked up and saw the rain of feathers now aimed at us.

Qrow: Scatter!

We broke apart into pairs. Ruby and I ran in one direction, Blake and Yang ran in another, Weiss and Qrow ran in a third, and Oscar followed Jaune, Nora, and Ren. Focusing back on the Nevermores, they split up to attack all of us. Two followed the group that will forever be referred to as ORNJ, and only one followed every other group. How we'll find each other again, I have no idea. Looking at the landscape, I doubt we could even find our way back to the crash. The stretch of desert around us was filled with identical dunes blocking out all vision past their peaks. With no landmarks, anyone could walk in a circle and never know. We had all been given maps of the area, but that didn't help as much as it might seem.

Ruby: Where do we go? What do we do?

Rocket: Well, first things first, we need to take care of this nevermore.

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POV: Omniscient

Yang: And how are we going to do that?

Blake: First, we will have to get into the air. Since I have no way of doing that, it'll be your job to bring it down here.

Yang: And what exactly will you be doing while I'm getting it to ground?

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Jaune: We'll be waiting here.

Oscar: Are you sure that'll work...?

Jaune: Well, it's the only plan we've got, so let's do this!

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Qrow: Be back in a second.

Weiss watched as Qrow changed, just like Raven had. This time, though, it was in reverse. Qrow, now Crow, flew up to meet the nevermore.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

POV: Omniscient

Rocket ran forward, and launched off of crescent rose, with Ruby firing at just the right time to increase his velocity exponentially. He stuck into the nevermore's wing like a dart, and quickly ran all over the massive bird, cutting at every joint he could. Eventually, he finally stripped enough feathers off to force the nevermore to drop altitude. It crashed into the sand, now disabled. Ruby ran to the crash site, jumped into the air, and, leaving a trail of rose petals, drove the point of her scythe through nevermore's skull.

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Like they had practiced so many times before, Blake threw the hilt of her sword, while still holding the ribbon. Yang caught the sword, and began firing her gauntlets behind her, building up speed until just the right time to-

Blake: Go!

release. Yang let go of the sword and flew off tangentially from her previous course. Her new course carried her up, right into the jaw of the nevermore. Yang, now coated in a golden flame, uppercut the nevermore, temporarily knocking it out. That lapse in consciousness, though not long, was enough to cause the nevermore to start falling. It woke up just before impact, but it was too late. Blake ran forward, and, with perfect timing, slid under the nevermore's neck while slashing upwards. At the same time, Yang crashed down onto the nevermore's head, pushing it onto the sword.

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Everyone got into position, and Jaune began boosting Ren's aura. He would be needing it. Nora ran directly at Ren, and he began to focus. If he mistimed it, even a millisecond, he would throw Nora straight into Jaune. He held both his hands out, like a platform. Nora, now spinning her hammer for maximum momentum, put one foot into Ren's palm. Ren waited until her weight was shifted directly above him, and then forced her upwards, pushing his boosted aura to his hand. The result was just as expected. Nora was thrown at extreme speeds upwards, directly at the first nevermore. Her hammer, moving at near sonic speeds, passed through the nevermore's wing like a knife through butter. Now without thrust from one side, the nevermore fell out of the sky. Now, though, she had the other to deal with. She had stopped ascending once she was hundreds of feet above the nevermores, and spun over to assess the situation. She only had 15 seconds to think about her next move, judging by her speed. She decided to speed up that process by firing her hammer upwards, launching herself downwards. Her hammer made contact with the nevermore's back, launching it straight into the ground. Now that both birds were on the ground, stunned, the rest of team ORNJ could go to work. Ren's knives were definitely sharp enough to cut into the nevermore, but they weren't long enough to any real damage. Meanwhile, Jaune had the opposite problem. His blade couldn't pierce the skin, but it could kill the nevermore if it breached its defenses. The solution, Ren cut the skin to pieces, while Jaune took the opening to kill the nevermore.

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Qrow flew straight into the nevermore, turning back into a human only a second before he passed it. The nevermore, caught off guard, hesitated. That hesitation was just enough to let Qrow slam his sword into its back. The force cause it to scream in agony as it fell towards the ground. Back on the ground, Weiss was attempting to summon her knight and failing miserably. Every time it would start to climb out of the glyph, the sands would shift, killing any chance of her success. Suddenly, the ground shook around her as the nevermore crashed into the ground in front of her. Qrow quickly followed it, pushing the momentum from the fall into one last strike, aimed at its throat.

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Blake walked over to where Yang was sitting in the sand. After the impact with the Nevermore, she had fallen to the side. Blake held out her hand.

Blake: Are you ok?

Yang pushed her hand away, and stood up.

Yang: I'm fine. Let's move.

Blake: Um... Looking at the map, we'll be able to make it to a city called Impra-Bava if we head a little north of east.

Yang: Then let's go.

With that, Yang began walking away robotically. Blake ran to keep up.

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Jaune pulled his sword out of the second nevermore, as both disintegrated.

Jaune: Ok! Now that we've taken care of them, let's go find everyone else!

Ren: Actually, I doubt we could find the others if we tried. We all ran in different directions quite far.

Nora: Yeah... Oh, how about we go find the next city and wait there?

Oscar: Good idea. Let's see... Base on which direction we ran...

He took out the map, and turned it, orienting it based on the sun.

Oscar: We should find the next city if we go straight East.

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Qrow found Weiss half covered in dust, right next to where the nevermore had landed. The crash had caused a wave of sand to be thrown straight into her face.

Qrow: You okay, kid?

Weiss: Y- Yeah. Just a bit, shaken.

Qrow: Well, you might want to get yourself unshaken. It's going to be a long walk to Impra-Bava.

Weiss: How far?

Qrow: About a 2-day trip south of east. There, we might just be able to meet up with everyone else and move on to Shade.

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POV: Rocket

I rejoined Ruby, watching the dull smoke of the nevermore rise into the sky. Unfortunately, the breeze was enough to dissipate it before it would reach any significant height.

Rocket: We better go ahead and get a move on. I'd like to at least get some distance before nightfall.

Ruby: We had all just reunited too…

Rocket: Hey, we've done it once, we can do it again. Don't worry, we'll find them.

Ruby: I hope you're right…

She turned away from the carnage of the nevermore, and looked ahead, to the long journey ahead of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

POV: Rocket

We had been walking literally the whole day and were seriously exhausted. This sand didn't give any help to that, as it was loose and difficult to find traction on. We first found a relatively flat area to set up and got our stuff ready. We hadn't seen a single Grimm on our journey, so it didn't seem like a guard would be necessary. As the sun set, I pulled out the fireless rations we had; tough beef jerky and cold bread. We sat down and began eating.

Ruby: I wonder where the others could be...

Rocket: Don't worry. They can handle themselves. Plus, we'll see them when we reach Impra-Bava. That's the city would make the most sense to go to.

Ruby: Right. Oh, um... did you notice that everyone seemed off during the trip here?

Rocket: Everything seemed a bit quiet. Is that what you're referring to?

Ruby: Yeah... I wonder what's gotten into them. Well, whatever it is, I hope they can work it out soon...

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POV: Omniscient

Yang had been silent throughout the journey. Even while they ate, she didn't say a word. All of her actions were hollow. Blake might as well have been talking to a rock.

Blake: At least we haven't run into any Grimm. That's at least good, right?

Yang: ...

Blake sighed, and put away her now empty plate. She began to reach for her sleeping bag, ready to end off the silent day, but then she paused. Was she just going to run away from the topic again? I mean, she wouldn't be physically running away, but leaving this alone would be assuredly worse.

Blake: Yang? Please say what's wrong.

Yang looked up, pretty suddenly breaking through the shell she had put up over the last few days.

Yang: What do you mean?

Blake: I... I can tell that something is wrong. You've been silent ever since we left Mistral.

Yang: ...You can't tell why?

With that, Yang went back to her food. Blake knew what Yang was mad about. Really, she had known the whole time, but she had been hoping for it to be anything else.

Blake: I'm... sorry I ran. Back after Beacon.

Yang: There it is... Another empty apology.

Blake: What do you mean-

Yang: Every single time something comes up! First, you run. Then, you come back and apologize. But, when push comes to shove, you'll just run away again!

Yang's eyes had shifted from the calm lilac to the fiery red of her mother.

Blake: ...I know.

Yang: Huh...?

Blake: I know I keep running away. In the end, it's all my fault... But now, I'm not going to run!

Yang: Really? And how can I trust you this time when I've got four months of loneliness to prove otherwise?

Blake: It will take a while, but I will prove myself.

Yang: You said that last time, too! And the time before that! What the hell could you possibly treat as more important than your team?!

Blake: I acknowledge that it was a mistake. I thought... I thought you all wouldn't want me after everything. But now, I've learned! While I was gone, I learned so much about how to face my fears! I learned how to not run away! I know you might not believe a word I say, but I will earn your trust back, someday.

Yang looked up, and they made eye-contact. She saw the determination in Blake's eyes. Slowly, her own eyes faded back from red, to a calm, hopeful lilac.

Yang: Ok... I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Finally, for the first time in a while, she smiled.

Author's Note: Sorry for such a short chapter after I've been away for so long! Whoever said Senior years was easy, obviously never had to write college essays. Either way, I will try to post when I can. I have the tendency to write the last parts first, so at least I have the final few battles pretty much ready. Just know that I do intend to finish this before I leave for college. Along with the other projects I have for other things.

Another note: On a read through, I saw this note, and thought I'd update it. This'll definitely be a longer project than I thought since I'm also super lazy. I have found myself a little more motivated than before, though, so who knows. Though I will say, I probably won't give upon it. I have a full outline until the ending, I'm just kinda struggling to connect the very wide spaces in between the dots of story I have.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

POV: Omniscient

Team ORNJ finally found a good place to camp. The figure out which direction they had been going, and figured out they would reach the town Impra-Bava some time tomorrow. As Ren cooked for the group, they all sat around idly. Jaune sharpened his sword. Nora cleaned her hammer, polishing it with a rag she had in her backpack. Oscar sat, a bit away from the group, and looked at Ozpin's staff. For the last few days, ever since the battle at Mistral, Ozpin had been completely silent. He had taken over Oscar's body by force, though, and that's what scared him the most. According to Ozpin, their minds would continue to merge, until there was no longer a voice in his head but his own. But... What if Ozpin was lying? What if he would just take over Oscar's mind? This whole situation, it was forced on him without a choice. But still... It's what he yearned for back at the farm, right? An adventure... but how would any of this be ok? As these thoughts swirled his mind, he had been laying down, looking at the darkening sky. He didn't even notice Jaune walk up behind him and reached out his hand.

Jaune: Hey, the food's ready. You might wanna grab a bite before Nora eats it all.

Now, Oscar had a new thought. Even if he didn't have a choice coming in, he would just have to make the best of it. He reached up and grabbed Jaune's hand.

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At the same time, Weiss and Qrow were finishing up with their meal.

Qrow: Alright, kid. Let's get to sleep. We'll have a long day ahead of us if we wanna make it to Impra-Bava by sundown tomorrow.

As they both got into their sleeping bags, Weiss noticed Qrow get out his canteen. He hadn't touched it until now. She saw him look at it, glance at her, and put it back away. As they laid in the darkness, Weiss tried to sleep, but couldn't. She tried to think about why, but then she smelled something. The sleeping bags were positioned on opposite sides of the firepit they had made, but she could still detect the piercing odor of strong alcohol. Qrow had most likely waited until he thought she was asleep before getting out the bottle. She recognized the smell of vodka. Courtesy of her mother, there had always been an open bottle of nearly every alcohol imaginable at any party she was forced to go to. She heard a small crinkling of paper. Finally, unable to contain her curiosity, she sat up and looked over, across the campfire. Qrow was taking gulps out of his canteen, while gazing at a small picture in his hand. After a few seconds, he seemed to finally notice she was awake.

Qrow: Huh...? Kid, go back to sleep.

His words were already slightly slurred.

Weiss: What are you doing?

Qrow: It's nothin', don't worry about it.

Weiss: I can tell it's not nothing, though. You were about to drink yourself to sleep.

Qrow: Sh-Shuddup... I don't wanna talk about it.

Weiss: Talking about it might help. I can almost guaruntee you'll feel better.

Qrow: But I mean... I don't really want Ruby findin' out about this-

Weiss: So she won't. If you don't want me to tell her, I won't.

Qrow: Geez... You're being really stubborn, you know?

Weiss: I know.

Qrow: Well, you might as well get comfy... It's storytime.

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13 Years Ago

Qrow reached down and helped Summer Rose up to the cliff he was standing on, overlooking Forever Fall. It was the middle of the night, and the moon was sitting high in the sky, with all it's round pure glory. The lush, green forest spread out beneath them as Summer's white cloak fluttered in the breeze. Earlier that week, Ozpin had contacted team STRQ, or at least what was left of them, with a mission. Recently, huntsmen had noticed an increase in Grimm activity in Forever Fall. This seemed to indicate a villainous group like the Red Claws were active in that area. It was team STQ's job to find the Claws, and drive them out. Unfortunately, with Ruby and Yang still being too little to be left alone, Tai opted to stay behind and watch them.

Qrow: According to Ozpin's intel, the center of the activity should be about a mile in front of us. Let's just get this over with so we can get home.

With that, they jumped down and began walking along the tranquil path through the woods.

Summer: Come on Qrow! Doesn't this just bring you back to the old days, back at school?

Qrow: Is that supposed to be a good thing?

Summer: Of course! I mean, this is just like when we beat up those bad guys! Oh, and like when we beat those other baddies-

Qrow: Don't forget when we beat up those other other bad guys.

Summer: See? School was full of good times with the team! Plus, isn't it nice to meet back up with the team occasionally?

Qrow: Yeah, I guess that's true, at least.

Summer: Hey, are we there yet?

Qrow looked up. Summer had run up ahead and pulled out the map.

Qrow: We've prolly haven't even gone a quarter of a mile. We won't make contact with them for a while, yet.

And so, they kept walking.

Summer: So what's been going on with you, nowadays?

Qrow: Oh, the usual. Going around doing stuff for Oz. I swear, these missions just keep getting further and further away from Patch...

Summer: At least this one was close by! You stick around for a while here, before Ozpin sends you out again. We have to enjoy the times we get like this!

Qrow: Yeah. Sorry, I guess all this running around has made me tired... I need to think more positive.

Summer: Yeah! When life give you lemons, make cookies! I mean, that's what I do...

Qrow: I still don't think that's how the saying goes.

Summer: Whatever!

And so, the conversation continued like that for a while. They were walking along at a leisurely pace; there wasn't really a time limit. They could only enjoy eachother's company as the crickets chirped around them. Finally, though, they saw an orange glimmer through the green foliage. The two finally came out of the forrest, and over a valley. In front of them, there was a huge cluster of tents and temporary structures. It stretched out incredibly far in both directions. The orange glow seemed to come from the many fires it took to keep a camp of this size running.

Summer: Woah... There are so many...

Qrow: What the he**...? We were told it would be a small band of them.

Looking around, Qrow saw a flag flying above one of the bigger tents. It has the five bloody streaks; the mark of the Red Claws.

Summer: So what should we do?

Qrow: We need to get out of here. There's nothing we can do against a force like this with just the two of us.

Summer: Right. Let's go.

As they turned around and went back into the wood, Qrow thought he heard some rustling from around them. As he looked over at the source of the sound, a person suddenly ran out of the woods, and sprinted down the hill.

Summer: What was that?

Qrow: Da**, they must've had a screen! Run! The entire camp will be after us pretty soon!

And so, the left at a run. After a few seconds, they heard the roar of voice from somewhere behind them. The camp was mobilizing.

Qrow: We've just gotta hope they don't have any good sprinters there.

Summer opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, she noticed a yellow light from the otherwise dark sky.

Summer: Look out!

She and Qrow slid to a stop, as the fireball came crashing into the ground in front of them. As the smoke cleared, Qrow's eyes widened. It was a mortar she-

_BOOM_

Qrow was launched back and slammed into a nearby tree as the shell went off. It was like a grenade, completely dazing him. As he came back to his senses, though, he saw a horrific sight. Summer was on her back, a few feet from where the shell had gone off. There was a pool of blood beneath her.

Qrow: Summer!

He ran over to her. There were six separate holes all along her body. What kind of luck was it to get hit by six, while Qrow was left completely uninjured...?

Qrow: C'mon, Summer, stay with me!

At the sound of his voice, her pure, silver eyes fluttered open. Her voice was weak.

Summer: Qrow...?

Then, Qrow heard the sound of the voices, still growing. Thinking quickly, he picked her up, and put her over his shoulder. With the extra burden, his movement was slow, but he was making progess.

Summer: Qrow...

Qrow: What... is it...?

Summer: Just... Just leave me.

Qrow: You know I can't do that!

Summer: Please... You have to realize...

Finally, exhausted from the effort of carrying her and running, Qrow set her down and paused to catch his breath.

Summer: Qrow... If you try and carry me, too, We'll just both die. Please... Leave me here. I'll stop them so you can getaway.

Qrow: But-

Summer: Please, just do this. And please... Do be a good uncle. Ruby will need you.

Qrow: Summer...

He was cut off as the voices grew again. They sounded close.

Summer: Go!

And so, after a slight moment of hesitation, Qrow ran on, leaving Summer leaned against a tree near the path. She heard the voices getting closer, still. Somehow, despite losing most of her blood and still being injured all over, she found the strength to stand up. Slowly, she walked into the middle of the path. It was quite a big path, meaning the soldier would follow it. And she would be the roadblock. As she thought about this, she saw flood out of the forest around her. The army of thugs who had been chasing them stopped, completely surrounding her. Their guns were aimed right at her. Then, an idea struck. Through the fog of blood loss, she focused on Ruby. This was for her. Slowly, a silver light began forming in her palm. The leader of the troops stepped forward.

Captain: Surrender! You've got nowhere to go!

Summer was still just focusing all of her energy on standing there, right in their way.

Captain: Was there not two of you? Where did the other go?

Once more, Summer was silent. She just needed to buy time. Any time would work.

Captain: If you will not cooperate, then you will be punished by death!

Summer still stood there, the ball of silver forming in her hand.

Captain: Very well, you have chosen death!

Summer moved her hand, to look at the orb. It was shifting and shimmering, flickering with light. The orb itself was around the diameter of a quarter. But, despite its minute size, it was packed tight with her emotions. She hoped they would be enough.

Captain: Fire!

Summer's mind went numb, as bullets poured in around her. She vaguely felt the sting of bullets piercing every inch of her skin. She fell to her knees. As her mind fully scattered, her hand went limp, dropping that silver orb. Time seemed to slow as it fell the remaining distance to the ground.

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Qrow managed to run all the way back to the cliff where they had started. He was absolutely winded, but he had made it. Now, he turned back towards the woods. Hoping beyond any hope that Summer would be following him. As he looked back, the dark sky was suddenly illuminated as a spear of brilliant white light shot into the air. It was absolutely massive. The pilar of silver flame grew, shooting up into the air as the inferno spread outwards, expanding over a huge area. Then, the pillars upward movement reach the moon. The impact created an even bigger explosion, turning the world to day for a few mere seconds. Then, the spear shot back down. It built up speed, falling faster and faster until it hit the ground. Qrow's vision was filled with white as the spear burst back down to the forest. He felt the massive wind of the explosion. The sound echoing through his ears was deafening. Finally, the forest grew silent once more. The sky went dark. As Qrow look back out, the entire forest, previously lush and green, was a bright red. Then, he looked up, toward the sky. The moon was broken, scattered. As he watched, though, little white light started falling around him. He watched them drift down like snow, landing on the ground and fading. Then, he reached out and caught one. It was warm in his palm. Then, a strange thought fluttered into his mind. He bent down onto one knee and dug a small hole in the dirt at his feet. There, he placed the little light and buried it. He stood up, unsure why he did it. Then, a light white rose sprung up there. He looked back out at the forest. Summer was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

POV: Omniscient

Qrow: ...And that's what happened.

Weiss: That's horrible...

Qrow: Yeah. Now, do you understand why I don't want Ruby to know about this? Her mom died because of me... She left, and now I have to pick up the pieces. That pain... the alcohol makes it go away. It helps me not think about it.

Weiss: But is that what she would have wanted?

Qrow: Huh...?

Weiss: She asked you to take care of Ruby, right? How do you think she feels when you drink yourself half to death?

Qrow: You know nothing about this... Just by existing, I kill people! My semblance only brings misfortune!

Weiss: You're right. I don't know how it feels to be in your position. But... I do know how it feels to be Ruby. My mother was never present. She was always absent, drinking. Children... They need people to guide them. None of us know everything, but together we might be able to know more.

Qrow: Geez... Getting lectured by a kid... Nah, you're right. How does Ruby feel, huh...? No matter what, I'll need to try... Either way, it's way too late for this. Let's get to bed.

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As the night fell over in Salem's castle, she was silently sitting on her throne, with Watts as the only other person in the room. It had been multiple days since Leo's call. The attack at Haven had been a failure. They hadn't heard from Cinder or Hazel at all since then. In that time, Salem had chosen to wait for their inevitable return. The two sat, and waited as the seconds ticked by-

_Slam_

The door to her throne room crashed open. Hazel took a few slow steps forward, before falling to his knees. He seemed exhausted. Emerald and Mercury slowly came in behind him. All of them seemed completely weary.

Salem: Ah. It's about time you all showed up.

Hazel: I'm sorry, my queen... We came as fast as we could after the battle.

Salem: Hm... The battle... Right. You will be able to rest later. For now, can you please explain to me how it is, that you were put at such a brilliant advantage, yet you managed to fail so spectacularly.

Hazel: We had the advantage for quite a while, but then an army of faunas showed up and eliminated the white fang.

Salem: And what of Cinder?

Hazel: We don't know. When we reached the climax of the battle, she left for the Spring Maiden vault, as planned, with Raven and the Spring Maiden with her. Later, one of the girls jumped down. That girl, I believe her name was Yang, was the only one to return.

Salem: So let me get this straight... Three of the most powerful fighters in Remnant, two of which were Maidens, lost to a half-trained teenager.

Mercury: That pretty much sums it up-

?: Actually, I would like to object.

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. Standing at the door was a maskless Cinder and Adam.

Emerald: Cinder!

Emerald quickly moved towards Cinder but was halted by one motion of her hand.

Cinder: I lost to Raven. We were betrayed and lied to. Vernal was never the Spring Maiden.

Watts: What?! But the intel I found stated-

Cinder: It stated that the Spring Maiden had run away, and had been adopted by the Branwen tribe, correct? Well, that, at least was correct.

Watts: Then what was the issue?

Cinder: That little girl that ran away wasn't Vernal. It was someone else. Raven then must have killed them and taken the powers for herself. I wasted my surprise on Vernal, but couldn't find the powers in her.

Watts: So we were set up for failure from the start...

Salem: That explains much... But what it doesn't explain...

She looked up and pointed at Adam, who had been standing silently at the door the whole time.

Salem: ...Is why you are here.

Adam: I wish to help. Even without the White Fang, I can still be of service. Currently, one of the members of their team knows me personally, and another has an exaggerated fear of me. Please... Allow me to fight them with you. Our goals are still in alignment, after all.

Salem: And that goal is...?

Adam: Killing team RRWBY.

Salem: Hm... Well, then your wish is granted. I trust you will be an excellent rook in my next plan.

Watts: Another plan already?

Salem: The children are likely heading to Vacuo as we speak. You all can rest tonight. But tomorrow, I want Watts, Cinder, and Adam to go to Shade Academy. There, our plan will be able to fully take shape.

Emerald: Wh-What about the rest of us?

Salem: As for you and Mercury, your performance in the last fight was truly dreadful. I want you to stay here and prepare. Once you surpass my standards, you will be allowed to join them. As for you, Hazel, I want you to wait here for Tyrion to recover. He will need some time to recover from Watts' procedures, but it will be well worth the wait.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

POV: Rocket

The next day went by boringly. There wasn't really a lot to talk about, and it was mostly more of that exhausting walking. Around noon, though, I noticed something, off in the distance. I quickly pulled out my map and looked at my compass.

Ruby: Huh? What's wrong?

Rocket: That... Shouldn't be there.

I pointed over directly in front of us. There was a massive formation of rocks, piled into a relatively large pyramid.

Ruby: Whaddya mean, is it not on the map?

Rocket: No, it is on the map... but that would mean we're here.

I pointed out the landmark on the map. It was significantly far West of Impra-Bava.

Rocket: But according to my estimations, we should be able to see Impra-Bava from here.

Ruby: Huh... Can we sit down for a bit? I think I need some water...

And so, we took a small break. During the break, I double checked and triple checked my navigation. We should be nearly there by now. So how did we end up so far away...?

_Click_

I looked up, and out at the desert.

_Clack_

Rocket: _Where the heck is that coming from...?_

_Click_

Finally, I found the source of the sound. Ruby was repeatedly pulling apart these two neodymium magnets, and let them pull themselves back together. The collisions were what was creating that metallic clicking that I had heard.

Rocket: Hey, can you put those away? I'm trying to concentrate.

Ruby: Aw, come on! But it's so much fun! It's so satisfying to do, and it helps the trip not feel as boring...

Rocket: Sorry, but I'm currently trying to figure out how we managed to get so far off course... It's like my compass was veering east constantly, but that couldn't be it. I just got this think corrected recently.

Ruby: Um... Well, what else could it be?

_Click Clack_

Rocket: For the last time, could you stop playing with those mag... nets.

The realization finally dawned on me.

Rocket: Hey Ruby, have you had those the whole time?

Ruby: Yeah, why?

Ruby had been walking primarily to the right, and slightly behind me. More accurately, she had been east of me pretty much the whole time.

Rocket: Ruby, do you know how compasses work?

Ruby: Um, don't you use the Earth's magnetic field or whatever to find North, and... oh...


	6. Chapter 5 cont

Chapter 5.5

POV: Omniscient

The day after the meeting with Salem, a trio was walking through the streets of Impra-Bava. Watts was at the head of the group, and he seemed to be looking around for something. Behind him, Cinder had her hair worn over the left side of her face, hiding the dead flesh, burned away by the silver flames. Finally, bringing up the rear of the group was Adam, who had his normal mask replaced by a black blindfold, and grey hood on, hiding his hair and horns. After all, Adam was now a criminal wanted all over Remnant. Watts had wanted him to take zero chances. In the middle, Cinder clutched a small scroll of paper. Officially, the group was supposedly carrying a message from Leonardo Leonhardt to the headmaster of Shade academy, Aver Fovos. The paper was mostly legitimate, too. Leo had written it up as a part of Salem's plot well before Qrow and the young protagonists had arrived in Mistral. Finally, after a few more minutes of walking through the crossroads city, only really meant as a connector between two airship flights in their journey, Watts held up his hand in a halting motion.

Cinder: What is it?

Watts: ...We need to take a quick detour. Follow me.

Adam: What are we going to do?

Watts: Don't question me.

Adam bit back his tongue. It's not the first time he had been scolded during their trip.

Watts: ...Well, if you must truly know, I'm just going to quickly set up a trap for our courageous heroes. It won't take long.

With that, Watts turned and entered one of the many taverns in the city. The other two exchanged a curious glance, before following him.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Meanwhile, inside the tavern, Watts walked up to counter, set at the back of the short, lightly lit, room. The stuffy air reeked of alcohol, most likely cheap ale. Cinder and Adam came in a few seconds later and sat at a nearby table, just close enough to hear what was happening. Watts sat down next to another one of the patrons. This man was obviously a few drinks in. He was short and stocky. His clothes seemed to be rich and lavish but barely washed. The man had a rough beard, trimmed and styled, but obviously not very often. Just as the man ordered another round of gin, Watts tapped him on the shoulder.

Watts: Mr. Targius Regeumda, I presume?

Targius: Eh? Yeh, that's m'name! 'nd who're you?

His speech was lightly slurred. At least that meant he would be half-functional during the conversation, and not too terribly hammered.

Watts: Dr. Watts, at your service. I was told to meet with you here.

Targius: Watts, oh, yeh! How're yah doin'? I was told you'd have a fav'r tah ask me?

Watts: Yes... You see, there's this group of travelers. Mostly students, with one adult with them. They should be easily recognizable. You saw the pictures I sent you, correct?

Targius: Ovcurse I saw 'em! Whaddye want me tah do to 'em?

Watts: Stall them here. Preferably indefinitely, if you know what I mean. You can try to arrest them based on some crime. Claim they've stolen something. As long as you can keep them here, you'll get your payment.

Targius: And 'ow much're we talkin'?

Watts: Five hundred thousand Lien for every day you keep them here.

Targius: Consider it done!

Watts: I'll check up on you occasionally from the time of capture on, to see if you still have them. Well, then, if you'll excuse me...

Watts stood up and walked out of the tavern. Adam and Cinder soon followed.

Cinder: The children are too powerful to be kept here.

Watts: I give him three days before they're free again.

Adam: Then why bother for such a short delay?

Watts: This next part of our plan will require some time to setup.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

POV: Omniscient

Qrow and Weiss finally stopped walking and took a sigh of relief. In front of them stood the huge gate of Impra-Bava. The sandstone walls jutted out of the ground like a rook. They had made it.

Qrow: Alright. If everything went ok, the others should all be waiting for us inside.

Weiss nodded, and the two kept moving forward. As they went through the open gates, the sun was high in the scorching sky, around noon. As they walked into the city, though, the streets were empty. The square houses bordered the streets, leaving only tiny spaces for shaded alleyways. The much-needed gust of chilling wind only brought barren silence.

Weiss: What's going on...?

Qrow: C'mon, we should get a better look around.

After banging on a few doors, Qrow found that every house was locked. No one responded. They were seemingly alone in the town.

Qrow: Huh... Well, we might as well get a bit of water while we try and figure this out.

He pulled out his canteen, recently refilled with water out of their limited supply. It was empty. Thinking back, he remembered drinking the rest of it right before the city pulled into view.

Weiss: There should be a well at the center of town, right?

Qrow: Yeah, let's go grab a refill.

With that, they turned back to the main road and followed all the way to the center of town. From the well, the edged uniformity of the city truly stood out. Immediately around the well, there was a square plaza with sides probably around 30 feet long. From the well, four main roads extended out in the four cardinal directions. They each led straight into one of the four giant iron gates of the city. All around them, identical cubic houses stood above them. The only reason the houses weren't perfectly cubical, is that they had a slight lip to make a railing, should you be standing on the roof. On the street-side, though, the buildings looked completely different. Each one had a different sign and decoration signifying what type of building it was. Just within readable sight, Qrow spotted five separate taverns, popular in towns like these as bars, diners, and inns.

Qrow: How could so many people have disappeared at once-

?: Troops, ready!

A voice echoed around the city, easily audible with no interference. All at once, soldiers flood out of the houses around them and cut off every main road, building up a perimeter around Qrow and Weiss. Each of the troops had a huge, curved shield covering from the floor to their noses. Above the tops of the shields, Qrow could make out shining silver helmets.

Weiss: Maybe the rooftop?

?: Gunmen, ready!

On the roofs surrounding the plaza, a ring of soldiers stood up from behind the lip of the buildings with rifles aimed down, into the square. There were way too many to dodge gunfire from them all. Finally, a relatively large man in pure golden armor stood up.

Targius: How k'nd of you all to join us! Welcome to Impra-Bava! You two're under arrest. Surrender now, er face the consequences!

Weiss: Under arrest?! But we just got here! Can we at least know what we're suspected of?

Targius: Nah, you'll hafta wait fer the trial for that! Now drop yer weapons!

Qrow: I can probably take fifty. How many can you get?

Weiss: Qrow, don't you think it would be best to go along with this? It won't do anyone any good if we get killed fighting here.

The tip of Qrow's sword, which he had drawn as soon as the voice of the captain had run out, finally dropped a bit, before his sword clattered to the ground. Weiss' soon followed suit.

Targius: That's bett'r.

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From there, after two soldiers had stepped forward and picked up the weapons, Weiss and Qrow were led at gunpoint to the far corner of the city, out to a building nestled as a part of the wall. There, one of the guards knocked on the thick wooden door. Four times, with a space in the middle. The door thudded open, and the guards continued leading Weiss and Qrow into the dark, torch-lit jailhouse. At the back of the room, stairs led down to a huge hallway of cells. As they reached the bottom, the guards in front of them stopped. On pulled two blindfolds out of his pocket, and proceeded to blind Weiss and Qrow. Then, being dragged forward by their shoulders, they kept moving. After around 5 minutes of twists and turns, they heard a click from in front of them. The blindfolds were untied, as Qrow and Weiss were pushed roughly forward, face-first onto the dusty ground. As they pushed themselves off the ground, they heard a click from behind them. As Qrow looked up, he saw a hand reached down in front of him. Looking further up, it belonged to Jaune.

Jaune: You two ok?

Qrow: Yeah, thanks...

Qrow took the hand, and Jaune helped him to his feet. Looking around, Qrow realized the cell was filled with familiar faces. Blake, Yang, Jaune, Ren, Nora, Oscar, and now he and Weiss were all locked in the cell.

Qrow: Huh... So they got all of you, too?

The downcast faces around him answered silently.

Qrow: What does this place have for security, anyway?

Blake: They seem to have built the prison area as a labyrinth of sorts. Still, sounds echo here, so all guards would be able to hear any attempted breakout and get to the exit.

Qrow: How many guards are there?

Ren: Quite a few. They can move pretty quietly so it's hard to know for sure, but there are likely a few more than we could handle, especially without our weapons.

Yang: So how'll we get out?

Qrow walked over to the wall of the cell and sat down.

Qrow: The way I see it, all we have to do is wait.

Yang: You seem incredibly confident for someone stuck in **prison**.

Qrow: That's because there's one detail you all seem to have forgotten. Ruby and Rocket are still out there.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

POV: Rocket

It was growing close to night time. The sun hung over the dunes, a ball of molten fire in the sky. This last day had been rough, especially with the slight–_ahem_–event with the map and directions. But, it seemed like it was almost at it's close as we topped the final sand dune, and finally saw Impra-Bava. It's normally white, flat-roofed buildings were painted red by the evening light.

Ruby: We're finally here!

Rocket: I'm so ready for bed...

Ruby: C'mon, one last push.

Rocket: I know.

We went down the side of the huge dune next to the city, and up to the gates of the city. They were open. I took back out our map.

Ruby: What is it?

Rocket: According to the notes on the map, Impra-Bava is supposed to be one of the most fortified cities in Vacuo. That explains the walls... But why would the gates just be left open?

Ruby: I mean, they could just close it when they're under attack.

Rocket: ...Maybe. Either way, let's go.

We walked into the city. It was absolutely silent. What was supposed to be a bustling city was an absolutely empty husk.

Rocket: This... Isn't right.

Ruby: Yeah, it's eerie.

We kept walking through the open main street, passing by the empty shops and taverns. There was a square in front of us. It was also completely empty.

Rocket: What could've happened he-

Targius: Halt!

A loud mad in full gold armor stood up on a roof across from us. He had been behind the edge of the roof, so we hadn't seen him before. Plus, it didn't help that he seemed fairly short.

Targius: Yer under 'rrest! Lay down yer weapons!

Rocket: But we just got here!

Ruby: And we haven't done anything wrong!

Targius: It don't matt'r, yer comin' with me.

Rocket: I hate to ask this, but you and what army?

Targius: This one. Guards!

As his booming voice echoed around the otherwise desolate town, gunmen also stood up on the roofs around the square. Men with swords stepped out of the nearby houses, forming a neat perimeter around the square. There had to have been at least a hundred of them.

Targius: Now, as I was sayin', yer weapons! Hand 'em over!

I looked around the square. Most of the guards were attentive and ready. Luckily, there were a few that weren't. I noticed that the guard standing in front of one alleyway was yawing, tired.

Targius: Look, I don't got all day! H'rry it up!

I slowed my breathing. This would take focus.

Targius: Yeh have 'ntil the count of three! One! Two! Three!

As he said three, I reached over and grabbed Ruby by the arm. As I heard every gun around us fire, I activated my semblance. Time stopped around us, as Ruby flailed for a quick second.

Ruby: Woah! Is this what you always see?

Rocket: Come on! We don't have long!

We ran over to the sleepy guards, and I pushed them to the side as we went into the alley. As the darkness surrounded us, I felt my focus waver. Time resumed around us. There was shouting and confusion in the square, as they tried to figure out where we were.

Rocket: What's... Going on...? I should've... been able to go... way further...

Guard: They're over here! After them!

Ruby: Come on!

Practically dragging me, out of breath, Ruby ran further down the alley. At this point, we were lucky with the numbers chasing us. They got in each other's way and kept tripping over each other as they swarmed down the backstreet after us. We snaked through the alleys until eventually, we ran face-first into the giant wall at the edge of the city.

Rocket: Huh? This should have been the way...

Guard: You're at the end of the road, criminals!

The guards had finally caught up to us.

Guard: Now, drop your weapons!

I put my hand on the hilt of my sword. I felt Ruby's hand on my shoulder. Then, the entire world flipped and spun around me. Ruby dashed us up and over the wall. We landed on the other side of the wall, and I hit the ground on my back. I stood back up, slightly nauseous from the feeling of being dragged into a cloud of rose petals.

Rocket: Thanks. Since there isn't a gate on this side, it'll be a while before they can follow us. But still, we should hurry.

Ruby: Right.

And so, we set out, running away from Impra-Bava.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

POV: Omniscient

Targius was back at the City Hall of Impra-Bava, when he got a call. It was from Dr. Watts.

Targius: Hullo.

Watts: Mr. Regeumda. Did you succeed?

Targius: Yeh. It went bett'r then I expected. They w're all split into groups.

Watts: Ah, very convenient. So, you have all of ten of them contained in your prison?

Targius: Well, erm... About that...

Watts: Is there an issue?

Targius: The last group 'scaped. My men were started to get t'red of all the arrests, and they got sloppy.

Watts: Hm... How many were in that group? And who was it?

Targius: Let's see 'ere... Based on the pictures you sent... It was... Ah, here we go. Rocket and Ruby.

Watts: Of course... Well, then the plan will have to change. I'll pay you ten million Lien to execute the ones you currently hold. If you can get the other two as well, I'll double that.

Targius spit out the gin he was drinking like beer. Twenty million Lien in total.

Watts: Do we have a deal?

Targius: Of course! I'll just have to make s'me preparations. It'll all be done in... probably... four days, I'd say.

Watts: Thank you. I'll have your payment ready once the deed has been done. Well, if you'll excuse me...

Watts hung up, and Targius sat back in his chair, satisfied. All he had to do was execute a couple people, and then he'd be on easy street for the rest of his life.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

POV: Omniscient

Dr. Watts hung up the phone with Targius and quickly pulled his hood up a little higher. Cinder and Adam, once again walking behind him, also had hoods on. Here in Vacuo, that particular style of hood, a length of cloth wrapped around his neck and shoulders, with an extra length hanging off the back like a cape, and the other side ending in a normal hood. After all, the desert heat could be brutal, but that's not why he insisted the group wear it. They were currently in their destination, the city surrounding Shade Academy. He had to be absolutely sure no one noticed his face upon arrival. And, since Cinder and Adam were also very noticeable faces, they needed the hoods, too. They were walking down the main street, a place completely swarmed by people, despite the sun setting over their shoulders. Anyone who was too observant could be an issue.

Watts: Now, where is he...?

Adam: Where's who? You haven't told us a piece of what we're doing here, yet.

Watts: How many times do I have to tell you? Don't question me. You two won't be playing as serious a role in this plan, anyways. The plan will truly start tomorrow. First, we need to find a place to stay, and I need to make preparations.

Cinder: I saw an inn a while back. Why not go there?

Watts: This is the main street of a major town. It would be too popular. There's more of a chance we would be noticed.

Adam: Then why are we still walking here? Shouldn't we split off into an alley, if we don't want to be on the main street?

Watts: Again, don't question my leadership. I actually have a very specific inn in mind.

After a few more minutes of walking, he found the alleyway he was looking for. It was right before the gates, which led into Shade academy proper. As the inn came into sight, Adam noticed that the building had to have been barely stable. Firstly, unlike most of the other buildings they had seen on their journey, it seemed to be made out of mostly wood and also leaned forward a good foot or two over the street itself, pressing in as they stood in front of it. It was a far cry from the reddish stone block structures around it. Watts pushed open the door, and the group entered. As their eyes adjusted to the relative dark of the building, they could see an elderly man and his wife at the counter. The woman was in the back, cooking something. It smelled amazing. Adam felt a pang of hunger. After all, it was approaching suppertime. As the door opened, it creaked loudly. The man raised his head. Cinder immediately his eyes were completely grey. Not a shining silver, like that girl, but grey. He was blind. His wife behind him didn't make any movement as the door closed behind them.

Man: Oh, visitors! Come in, come in. Would you like a room?

Watts: Yes, please. Your top room, if it's available.

Man: Ah, this is perfect timing, then! The room has just been freed up recently. Give me a second.

The man walked over to his wife and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, confused for a second, and then noticed the group standing at the counter. The man gave a few hand signals, first rubbing his hands together horizontally, then pointing two fingers forward, and lifting them up above his head. The woman seemed to understand what he was saying and moved quietly over to the stairs, set to the left of the counter. The man then, surprisingly accurately for a blind man, took another piece of meat, it looked like beef, and dropped it into the pot the woman was previously cooking.

Man: I take it you would like dinner, too? It's nearly ready.

Watts: Yes, if you would.

Man: That will be 3000 Lien.

The man gestured to a little mechanical pad, asynchronous with the old inn style. Watts took out his scroll and scanned it. There was a ding. At the same time, the woman came back downstairs.

Woman: The room is ready.

Man: Feel free to stay down here for supper, too. It's almost ready.

Watts: Hm... That is very kind of you, but I think I will have to pass. I have a meeting to attend to. You two can stay here until I return, though.

Adam: Who are you meeting with now?

Dr. Watts shot him daggers through his glare, but his voice responded perfectly calmly, masking his emotions.

Watts: You needn't worry. I'll be back within thirty minutes.

With that, Watts made his exit. The door creaked shut.

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As Watts stepped out into the alleyway, he heard silent footsteps approach behind him. He turned around to find a man in front of him. The man had a light face, but shifty eyes, constantly moving around his entire field of view. His most notable clothing was a green square of cloth that barely touched the edge of his left shoulder, while completely covering his right arm with its diagonal folds. He had two belts; one around his waist, and another over his shoulder, perpendicular to the edge of the vivid green cloth. Watts could see a leather holster, seemingly for a small crossbow at his hip. He could safely assume there was a quiver of bolts at his other hip, covered by the cloth.

Watts: Gretocchi Vera.

Gretocchi: Professor Arthur Watts. A disgraced scientist, who disappeared off the radar of the world for years.

Watts: Hmph... Someone's been doing their homework. Either way, I have a job for you.

Gretocchi: And I have the skills to complete it. What's your offer?

Watts: You aren't going to state your price, first?

Gretocchi: I have my price in mind, but I wanted to see what you were willing to pay, first.

Watts: I was planning to pay you 500,000 Lien. I heard that was your rate.

Gretocchi: Hm... My rate is 250,000 Lien. Either your source was incorrect, or you have multiple targets for me.

Watts: Great, you can do common division.

Dr. Watts pulled out his scroll, and opened a map, along with a picture of Ruby and Rocket.

Watts: Two ex-students of Beacon Academy. They should be nearing Ber-Thanat when you arrive. I've already rented an airship for your travel.

Gretocchi: This should be a simple task. One day, mostly travel.

Watts: In good faith, I'll pay twenty percent upfront.

Gretocchi felt a vibration from his scroll, signifying the money had been sent.

Gretocchi: Well, if you've already set up so much, I'll have to take you up on your offer.

Watts: I'll send you the rest of the money once you've completed the job. Good luck.

Gretocchi chuckled. It sent a slight chill up Dr. Watt's spine, and he thought he used to psychopathic laughing, thanks to Tyrion.

Gretocchi: I won't need it.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

POV: Rocket

We had been running for around five minutes, but now we finally reached a point far enough away from Impra-Bava that we could rest easy. I had almost immediately sat down, exhausted, and pulled out my map, while Ruby, in her boundless energy, didn't seem even fazed by the run. She set her bag down and leaned over my shoulder.

Ruby: So where are we going now?

Rocket: Well, since Impra-Bava's off the table, I was thinking we would go to Ber-Thanat. It's a smaller village, much less fortified. But it at least has a huge well in the middle of town. We'll need supplies, and we'll need to regroup.

Ruby: To find the others?

Rocket: Exactly. Currently, it seems like we can assume they've been captured.

Ruby: What are we going to do?

Rocket: Trust me; as soon as I think of anything, you'll be the first to know.

I stood up and put away the map.

Rocket: Either way, any plan will start in Ber-Thanat. That's the closest marked town on our map. Let's go ahead and get moving.

Ruby: Um... Isn't it getting kinda late?

I looked around and realized she was right. The sun had already begun to set when we had arrived at Impra-Bava. Now, the light was quickly fading. The sun was pretty much fully below the horizon.

Rocket: Ok, change of plans. We'll rest here overnight, and then get moving tomorrow. It'll probably take us most of the day again. Hm... We should probably take shifts keeping watch, too.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

The next day, we got moving reasonably early in the morning. The hike was long and arduous. The sand, still cool from the night, shifted easily under our feet, making it harder to wade through it. But still, we trudged along, almost silently. Any conversation we did have was to pass around the one functional water canteen that we had between the two of us. Eventually, as the sun fully rose into the sky, we started to feel the dry effects of the scorching heat. We tried using Ruby's cloak and my jacket, as tattered and torn as they were from our massive journey over the last 2 years, to create a bit of shade as we ate lunch. It worked for a bit, but we couldn't keep up the shade on the move, so we were forced to just pack them back up. I felt the water canteen get lighter and lighter as our voyage continued. Finally, at about the middle of the afternoon, we ran out fully.

Ruby: Hey... can I have a sip of water again? This heat sucks...

I took the canteen out of my pack and shook it. There was no sound of motion in it.

Rocket: Sorry...

Ruby: Don't worry! We'll be fine... we just have to push for a little longer!

But that little longer was too much for us. We kept going and going, getting more and more dehydrated as the sun boiled us alive. I noticed Ruby seemed to get a bit dizzy. Before I could say anything about it, though, a wave of nausea hit me, too. I shook my head, trying to push the sickness from my head. We needed to go just a bit further. Just... a bit... further...

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We were both at our limits. We had made it through the hottest part of the day, but the residual heat still felt like we were being baked in a massive oven. Glancing over my shoulder, Ruby looked like she was about to pass out. Both of us had been completely silent since we ran out of water, focusing 100% of our energy on dragging one foot in front of the other. As I moved my head back to in front of us, I noticed my vision was a little blurry. Not the weirdest effect of dehydration. Or it could've just been the heat stirring the air. Either way, I tried to blink away the fog, but couldn't. Then, as we crested the dune in front of us. I saw it. Or, kinda. Most of it was just a shadow. But I saw the well, clear as day.

Rocket: We're here...!

Ruby: Huh...?

I quickly stumbled forward, exhausted from the journey. I could hear Ruby somewhere behind me. Eventually, the sand flattened out and hardened underneath us, as we reached the gates, tripping and jogging as quickly as our burned-dry bodies could take us. The well was right there. I didn't see anyone in front of us on the street but didn't really think about it. The buildings around us were blurs as we limped up to the well. The water was actually surprisingly high, and we were able to reach in with our canteens, filling them, before starting to chug the water. My mind stopped doing front flips and barrel rolls, as the water finally cooled my parched throat. I sat back and leaned up against the wall of the well, eyes closed as I absorbed the water and cool shade.

Ruby: Um... Rocket...?

Rocket: Yeah?

Ruby: You might wanna open your eyes.

And so, I did. And jumped from my seat against the well. The reason why nobody had been around as we raced into town. The shadowy blurs around us. It all made sense. The whole town was in shambles. Every single house in ruins. There were even a few shadowed piles, which seemed like they had previously been humans or faunas.

Rocket: What in the world happened here...?


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

POV: Rocket

As we looked around the desolate, destroyed village, an echo of laughter rang out around us. It was bone-chilling, despite the heat in the air. It seemed to come from everywhere at once, but at the same time, nowhere at all.

?: Ruby and Rocket... Ex-students of Beacon Academy... barely trained huntsmen... and a pain in the ass to someone. This bounty will do me quite well...

Ruby: Who are you?

Ruby shouted while holding her scythe a little tighter in her hands. Her higher-pitched voice easily cut through his monologue.

Gretocchi: Hmph... You would do well not to annoy me. My name is Gretocchi Vera... and I will be your end.

The assassin stepped out from the shadow of a house in front of us, a small crossbow in his hand. This allowed me to fully see him. I don't exactly know how he was able to hide in that shadow, though, with his clothes being as bright green as they were. Before we could really say anything in response to his presence, he fired, launching a wooden bolt with a metal tip right at us. Ruby and I both dodged in different directions, as the bolt pierced the wooden frame of the well. It stuck in pretty far. That tiny crossbow was weirdly powerful. Either way, I was pulled out of my observations, as Gretocchi quickly closed the space in between him and Ruby. But now, in his hand, he had a short dagger. It rolled between his fingers as he slashed and stabbed at Ruby, who was clearly overwhelmed with him cramping her for space, preventing her from using her massive scythe to its full advantage. So, I ran over, and cut at him, hoping to at least drive him away from her. Instead, he gave a short kick to her stomach, pushing her back, and turned his total focus onto me. His unique style of knife fighting was a little difficult to handle with his blade flicking around, seemingly from random directions with no real path that it took to get there, but I was able to at least defend well enough. How Ruby did this with a full 7-foot long scythe, I have no idea. Finally, during the slightest break in his attack, I was able to at least swing once, with a horizontal slash. Easy enough to dodge, but it at least gave me some space. Except that as he moved back, in one fluid motion, he reloaded his crossbow and fired. I jumped to the side. When I looked back, he was back in the shadows. Gone. But then, that laughter started back up. It was a deep chuckle, specifically unique from Tyrion's high pitched, frantic giggling. It was clear Gretocchi was enjoying this. Ruby and I stood back to back, so we could watch both sides. We heard the click of him reloading from... somewhere. Then, I saw him jump out of the shadows in front of me, firing quickly. In the split second I was focused on blocking, he was gone again.

Gretocchi: Heheheh... I wonder. What will wane first: My ammo supply, or your focus?

As he said focus there was another click, and another bolt came from a seemingly completely different direction. This time, Ruby easily knocked it out of the air with the shaft of her scythe. That's when I remembered that semblances exist.

Rocket: I have an idea. Next time he fires, follow my-

_Click_

_Thwap!_

As he leaned out from around a ruined house in front of me and fired, I stopped time and ran forward. On my way, I cut the bolt out of the air, before getting right up in his face, resuming time, and cutting. I managed to startle him for a second, as his crossbow spun out of his grasp. Then, his knife jumped into his grasp, as he started back up the deadly dance that was his style. Almost like fencing, his blade would dart all-around before, after a couple of seconds, locking with my blade. This was his mistake. As soon as his hand was still for even the briefest time, there was a gunshot from behind me, as Ruby fired, hitting his hand right at the wrist. His aura managed to activate, but not before his dagger spun away, joining his crossbow.

Gretocchi: What...!? How?

Rocket: So, you'll be our end, huh?

Ruby: Hands behind your head! Heh, I've always wanted to say that.

Gretocchi: To think that I'd be bested by a couple kids...

He slowly reached up, putting his hands almost on the back of his neck. Ruby relaxed a little, leaning up against the well. We hadn't really left our position from right in front of it throughout the whole fight. I kept my sword practically at his chest, only an inch or two away.

Gretocchi: A couple stupid, stupid kids...

Within a quarter of a second, he yanked a second crossbow out of his collar, immediately firing it straight at me, almost at my shoulder. With it so far off-center, my slightest flinch put me well out of its trajectory. I looked back at his face, to see he was still smirking.

Ruby: Gah...!

The realization hit me. Right as Gretocchi jumped back into the shadows, disappearing again, I turned around and ran over to Ruby. She was holding her shoulder in pain.

Rocket: Are you ok?!

She nodded, wincing as she did so. It looked like she had almost dodged it. The bolt cutting a deep gash across her left shoulder. Then, I noticed something. The bolt had lodged itself in the well behind her, along with the first shot he had fired. I noticed a slight drop of a purple liquid drip of the part of the tip that wasn't lodged in the well.

Ruby: Rocket...? I don't feel so good...

And with that, she collapsed to her side, completely limp. It looked like she wasn't breathing.

Rocket: Ruby!

As soon as I reached her, it was clear that was, in fact, still breathing, just much shallower than usual. She also seemed to be twitching a little while "asleep". They were just absolutely tiny movements, but they were still easily differentiating her current state from a calm rest. Once more, the chuckling rang out around the destroyed village. I quickly at least wrapped a slight covering over the cut on Ruby's shoulder, before leaving her against the well, injury lower than her head to hopefully slow it's spread. I stood back up and turned around, looking back out over the ruins. That was when his voice echoed through the broken town.

Gretocchi: Why do you even bother? Your friend is poisoned; dying. Soon, you will join her. What do you hope to accomplish by fighting?

His voice seemed to originate all around me, making it impossible to pinpoint his location.

Rocket: Oh, I'm sure I'll think of something.

I saw a flash of green out of the corner of my eye. By the time I turned to face it, though, he had disappeared. See, he's an assassin who uses venoms to kill targets. Because of that, he would most likely carry the antidotes to his poisons, as a safety measure. After all, what if he cut himself? Breaking me out of my thoughts, I heard the familiar slap of the crossbow firing behind me. I spun around, acting on instinct, swinging upwards, and cut the bolt out of the air. He was nowhere to be seen. The half that held the poisonous broadhead arced up into the air, where I caught it and pocketed it for later, the scraps of an idea forming in my head.

Gretocchi: So, as you can see, this fight is... well…

I heard quick steps behind me, only the bare whisper of sand being stirred, and turned just in time to parry his knife.

Gretocchi: Futile.

Once again, his knife spun and jumped out at me, only ever attacking with quick jabs and short swings. He even would occasionally swing overhand, immediately flipping the knife, and cutting back upwards with the blade reversed. Eventually, though, he fell into a rhythm. When he attempted to swap hands, I cut directly upwards, much like I did a lifetime ago against Sun during the Vytal Festival, and sent his knife flipping straight up. He didn't even miss a beat, though, pulling another knife from somewhere underneath his cloak, and using that to block my followup attack, before reach up and snatching his original knife out of the air. Now the fight was getting started. If his previous style was a dance, his new style was like a juggling act. His knives were rarely in the same place for more than the blink of an eye. It took all my focus just to keep track of them, while still being pushed back. Eventually, though, I noticed we were back near the well, with my back to it. Ruby was barely a few steps away, with the Crescent Rose less than a foot from her limp grasp. As my back touched the well, Gretocchi flung one of his knives into the air, and drew a crossbow, sending a bolt almost right into me. Luckily in the instant it took him to draw the crossbow, I dropped my sword and rolled to the side, grabbing the Crescent Rose, and pulling it up. As his knife began its descent, I fired. For him to dodge the bullet, he had to jump back, away from his falling dagger. Finally, I heaved the scythe up, and chucked it at him very unceremoniously. He definitely wasn't expecting such a large weapon to come flying at him, and so it hit its mark, with the scythe smashing into the side of his head, shattering his aura, sending his weapons spinning away from the shock, and knocking him out all in one huge move.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

By the time Gretocchi woke up, the sun had almost fully set. I had used a bit of the rope from our bags and tied him up. He was groggy at first but quickly remembered what had happened.

Gretocchi: Hmph... so you think you have beaten me? I'll have you know that poison is one of my fastest acting. She'll be dead before morning. What hope could you possibly have, now? You'll never find the antidote. The nearest town from here is at least a day away. And even then, they may not have anyone who would be able to heal it-

Rocket: Shut UP! I know, I know you think you're so smart...

I had already tried searching him but to no avail. His bolt pouch had mysteriously disappeared too, before I had tied him up, meaning I wouldn't be able to bring on for the person to identify the poison. He had likely hidden it before confronting me the last time. Then, that stupid laugh started rising again. I walked right over to him, his entire body still laughing, and quickly stabbed him in the shoulder.

Gretocchi: Gah..! What do you think you're...

His laughing ceased when he saw what I had jammed into his arm. It was one of his bolts; the one I had pocketed.

Rocket: Not laughing now, huh? I'll ask you to tell me one more time, where is the antidote?

Gretocchi: There's a panel in the heel of my right boot. Beneath it, there are two syringes, one blue and one white. Take the blue one and give a fifth of it to her. It should act pretty quickly, but she'll still need a bit of time to recover. If you use any more, it might kill her.

Huh, turns out the instant his own life is in danger, his ego immediately evaporates, and he ends up being relatively easy to work with. I reached down and quickly found the panel. It was really well hidden. I took out the two syringes, and walked over to him, and got ready to inject him with it.

Gretocchi: Huh...? What are you doing!? Why wouldn't you treat your friend, first?!

Rocket: What? Is there a problem with this syringe?

Gretocchi: ... I lied. Use the white one.

I quickly swapped them out, and this time he didn't protest when I injected it into his arm, and then did the same for Ruby. At the very least, nearly the instant I injected it, the miscoloration directly around her gash started to go down.

Gretocchi: So... what are you going to do with me...?

Rocket: I have absolutely no idea. Say... who hired you?

Gretocchi: Why do you want to know?

Rocket: Because. If you tell me, I might let you go.

I could see the gears turning in Gretocchi's head. But it turns out his loyalty was pretty easily swayed.

Gretocchi: Dr. Arthur Watts. He had a few people with him, but I didn't really pay much attention to them. One was wearing a blindfold, and the other's face was messed up.

Rocket: Huh... good to know.

Gretocchi: So... will you let me go?

Rocket: ...Yes, actually. I'll tell you for your own good. Even if you succeeded, it's not likely that his group intended for you to get out alive. They kill those who have fulfilled their duties. My advice, get out. Stay as far away as you can from all of them.

It made sense, once I thought about it. That man at Impra-bava had been strange. It's possible Watts had paid him too. That is, assuming this professor Watts is also working for Salem, like I think. If he does, his complete hatred toward our group would make sense. Also, the two companions could definitely be Cinder and Adam, two other known followers of Salem. It all really starts to fall into pla-

Gretocchi: Um... so can you untie me...?

Rocket: Not yet. First...

I dragged him to his feet, while his arms and body were still bound. Then, I marched him a couple of dunes away, before fully cutting off the ropes on his body.

Gretocchi: Ah, that's better... Now my dagger?

Rocket: Nope. You've still been hired to kill us. I half-expect you to try again. So this way, I'd like to make things a little difficult for you. If you don't have your stuff, you can't really try. You said it's a day's walk to the nearest town. If you go there, immediately buy a new knife, and come back, that gives us a two-day headstart on you. Be glad I'm at least doing this much.

Gretocchi shrugged. He didn't really care, either way. He had already been paid quite a bit in "good faith", and he didn't mind slipping out of contracts occasionally. So, he left with his life. And I finally get to go to sleep... is what I would say if Ruby wasn't incapacitated and in need of a guard so that Gretocchi can't loop around and kill us in our sleep. This is going to be a long night...


End file.
